Ali Modu Sheriff Must Leave Office in May, PDP BoT insists

The Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party on Tuesday, insisted that the National Chairman of the party, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, must leave office on May 21.

The BoT vowed to resist any move by the former Borno State governor or his loyalists to extend his tenure beyond the agreed date (May 21).

Acting Chairman of the board, Sen. Jibril Walid, stated this at a briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.

Walid spoke reacting to alleged moves by Sheriff and other members of the National Working Committee of the party to extend their tenure beyond May 21.

The National Executive Committee of the party had at its meeting on March 7 fixed May 21 for the party’s national convention when new national officers would be elected.

The convention is to hold Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

At the meeting, NEC also mandated the Sheriff-led NWC to set up four committees in preparation for the convention.

These committees are those of national convention, reconciliation, finance and zoning.

But Sheriff’s refusal to name the members of the committees has fuelled speculation that the ex-governor is planning to stay beyond his tenure.

Sheriff, the former All Progressives Congress chief has also claimed that some members of the PDP wants him to remain in office till 2019.

But Walid warned Sheriff against listening to those he described as “praise singers”.

He said, “I want to offer some advice to Sheriff on the consequences of the machinations of praise singers and prophets of doom on the unanimous approval of the PDP Governors’ Forum, national caucus, BoT and the NEC terminating his tenure and that of the NWC on May 21, 2016.

“The above responsible bodies have approved that the tenure of the national officers will end immediately after the convention when the new officers are duly elected.

“The present NWC received an ovation at the meeting of the national caucus, BoT and NEC by overlooking their 2017 tenure in support of the three-month approval of the respected organs of the party which should strictly be complied with.

“Instead of listening to the praise singers, Sherif should follow the path of honour and integrity by simply taking a bow in May 2016 after the convention.

“The recent courtesy calls to the national chairman and the presentations being made, especially calling him to continue beyond the stipulated three-month tenure, is an invitation to trouble, anarchy and the return of impunity to the PDP.”

Walid also warned on the dangers of not adhering to the recommendations of the Ike Ekweremadu’s Post Election Review Committee that the party should seek its 2019 presidential candidate from the North.

He said this was done to compensate for the alleged violation of the zoning arrangement in the 2011 election, which led to a major apathy against the party in the north from 2011 culminating in its poor performance in 2015 general elections.

The party chief said the national caucus, BoT and the NEC had already approved this recommendation by unanimously zoning 2019 presidency to the North.

He said, “To change this decision now is a further invitation to impunity, a lack of party democracy, non-adherence to the party’s zoning principles, influence of ‘god-fatherism’, a lack of respect for the decision of constituted party organs, self-imposition and killing the PDP.”

Walid warned that anyone trying to reverse the position would “ever remain an enemy to the North, a mercenary and killer of the PDP”.

He added, “The BoT strongly advises Sheriff to respect his oath and acceptance of the powerful organs of the PDP that he will stay for only three months, and allow his name to be written in gold by honourably leaving the scene in May after the convention.

“The BoT shall resist any move by anybody to destroy the good foundation set by our founding fathers and mothers and shall remain the conscience of the party.”

He said the BoT would meet next week to further strengthen its position in support of the last decision of caucus, BoT, and the NEC.

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